Demons Live in Denver, Too
by Berserker Nightwitch
Summary: Buffy, Dawn, Xander, and Willow grow up in Denver, Colorado. Then Buffy is Chosen. Then she meets George Hammond. Part of 'My New Past Life' series.
1. Alive in Denver

**_"Demons Live in Denver, Too"_**

Author's Note/Disclaimer: I own nothing in this series. All characters you recognize belong to someone else. Any characters you don't recognize still probably belong to someone else. Enjoy the story.

--

**_Los Angeles, California - 1958_**

Michael Bradley stared through the glass with a soft smile on his face. He raised his hand and gave a small wave to his tiny daughter. The pink bundle squirmed and wiggled. Mike's smile widened when she opened her eyes.

"Hi, Buffy," he greeted in a whisper.

**_Garrison, Montana - 1960_**

Peter and Jenny Shanahan cradled their infant niece close to them as the doctors explained that her parents had died in the car crash. As the baby's only blood relative, Jenny knew she would get custody of the one-year-old. They stayed in Montana for a week, then headed back to their home in Denver.

**_Denver, Colorado - 1961_**

Buffy Bradley pouted while she explored her new home. Mommy and Daddy said she would like it here, and she would make lots of friends, but they couldn't find Mr Gordo, and Buffy refused to like the new house until they did. She pushed the front door open and wandered outside. Mommy was busy unpacking the kitchen, and Daddy was unpacking the bedrooms. Buffy had offered to help, but most things were either too heavy or too fragile for a three-year-old.

She stood next to the tree in her front yard and surveyed the area. Next door was a fun-looking house with big toys and a swing in the yard. Across the street from her house was a couple about the same age as her parents playing with a little boy with curly dark hair, and a little girl with two bright red pigtails. They were maybe a year younger than her, but she didn't care. She was drawn to them, knowing instinctively that they were going to be like family someday.

Buffy looked both ways, then started off across the street. She was almost to the other sidewalk when the couple noticed her and started panicking. They rushed to her and grabbed her, carrying her to their side of the street quickly. Buffy looked back and saw a truck driving past where she had been. They couple set her on the ground and looked her over.

"Where are your parents?" the lady asked.

"Unpacking the house. Mommy said I should play outside for a little while, and I wanna meet them," she answered, pointing at the two children.

"Did your mommy say you could cross the street without her?"

"I looked both ways," Buffy defended.

The man smiled at her gently. "What's your name?"

"Elizabeth Kathleen Bradley. But I like Buffy better," Buffy answered primly. Both adults smiled at the child, amused by her attitude.

"Well, Miss Buffy, I think we had better go tell your parents where you are. Don't you agree?"

"Can I meet them first?" Buffy asked. "Ooh! Or you could go tell Mommy and Daddy where I am and I can stay here and play!"

"I think you should come with us."

"Can we bring them?"

"Yes."

"Good!"

The woman reached for her hand while the man picked up the other two children. The five of them headed back across the street to Buffy's house. The lady knocked on Buffy's door and waited for her mommy to answer.

Mrs. Bradley answered with a cautious hello. Seven years working as a social worker in Los Angeles had taught her to be wary. Her eyes got large when she saw her daughter holding hands with a strange woman. The woman caught her eye.

"I think this one's yours," she announced, gesturing to Buffy. "She decided to come greet us, and I thought you might get worried if you couldn't find her. I'm Jenny Shanahan. This is my husband, Peter, and our niece, Willow. The little boy is your next-door neighbor, Xander Monroe."

"Sue Anne Bradley," Buffy's mom responded. "My husband Mike is setting up the bedrooms. I told Buffy to stay in the front yard."

"I'm sure she meant to, until she got distracted. Welcome to the neighborhood, by the way. Did you need help getting settled in?"

The children were settled in the dining room while the adults got to unpacking. Buffy, Willow, and Xander looked each other over before all three broke into grins.

--

**_Denver, Colorado - 1963_**

"Buffy, I want you to meet your new little sister."

"She looks like a doll," Buffy whispered in awe. "What's her name?"

"We thought we'd let you pick one for her. What do you think?"

"Can we call her Dawn?" Mike and Sue Anne exchanged a look.

"Sure Honey. Why Dawn?"

"It fits her."

--

**_Denver, Colorado - 1967_**

Robert Giles stared down at the paper in his hand. When he moved to America three months ago, he had decided to apply to the Big Brother Program. He had his new 'little brother's ' name and address written in front of him. Alexander Monroe; 1612 Collier Street. He walked up to the door and knocked quickly.

The door swung open to reveal four children. The blonde, redhead, and the boy all looked to be about the same age; there was also a four-year-old brunette. He looked at them for a moments, then his mouth dropped open. The children gave him the same expression.

"Giles?" the blonde whispered.

"Buffy," he answered, dropping to his knees. All four children latched onto him. In that moment, all of their memories of their previous existence flashed into their minds.

"You look a lot younger than I've ever seen you, Giles," Willow told him. "How old are you?"

"I'm eighteen."

"Hey, you're still British!" Xander cheered.

"With all the teasing all of you used to give me, I'm surprised you're happy about that."

"Well, you wouldn't be Giles without the tea, and scones, and Britishy-ness."

After talking to each of the parents, Giles took all four children out to a Pizza Hut for lunch, and the five of them reconnected.

--

A/N: That's it for now. I have to go to work. Andrew will be introduced in his own story, and they will meet in a different story from that one. Next time Buffy becomes the Slayer. Again.


	2. The Chosen One

**The Chosen One**

_**Denver, Colorado – 1973 **_

"Giles?" Buffy called softly while she stepped through the door. "Giles, are you home?"

Giles walked out of the kitchen just as Buffy stepped into the living room. Giles wiped his hands on the towel hanging from his pocket and strode toward the teen. His eyes showed concern as he performed a visual scan, looking for any injuries. Not seeing any, he finally made eye contact.

"What's wrong, Buffy?"

"I… I think I'm the Slayer again."

"Well, why do you think that?"

"When I woke up this morning I was hyper, and I broke the bathroom door when I was trying to get Dawn to hurry up in the shower. I haven't had that happen in this lifetime, so I was just wondering if slayers and watchers exist in this reality. And now you're looking really funny, and I'm going to take that as a yes. Giles!"

"Yes, the Council does exist here, and Quentin Travers is already in charge. I was not forced to remain an active Watcher this time around because of my older brother, Geoffrey. So I decided to move to America instead of taking on a Potential Slayer. And then we ran into each other, and it never occurred to me that you would be lost to the Council again. I thought that this world simply would not require your services."

"So I'm going to have to deal with being the Chosen One and facing all of those idiots again; only this time I won't even have a good Watcher?"

"You may still have a good Watcher, Buffy. It just won't be me."

"Why not? We've been friends for six years. You know me. You know how I operate, my like and dislikes, what'll make me obey and what will make me ignore an order. Giles, you're even more perfect now than you were in Sunnydale!"

"It is precisely because of all of that that I may not be chosen as your Watcher. If you recall, I was fired for becoming too fond of you. This time will be no different. If anything, I am more fond of you now than I was when I was fired."

"Obviously, since we've kinda spent sixty years with each other since then."

"Right." Giles started to polish his glasses, but stopped when he saw a strange gleam in the young Slayer's eyes. "What are you plotting?"

"Do you think we could just overthrow the Council early this time?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if we just head to England and take over? They can't really stop us. I mean, unless Travers has more power this time than he did in our universe. Does he?"

"Actually he is rather less liked here. I believe a number of people would participate in your coup."

"Perfect! So we just need to find a way to get over there and overthrow the tyrants!"

"There are a few minor flaws in your plan, Buffy."

"What?"

"Well, for starters, last time we simply took over after the First destroyed the building and everyone in it. Second, you're only fifteen. If you recall, last time it was hard enough to get the Watchers to follow a twenty-three year old. Third, you are still under the authority of your parents. Fourth, Willow, Xander, and Dawn are much too young to be involved in a revolt. Fifth, you no longer have a powerful, world-renowned witch at your disposal. And sixth, you haven't even met your new Watcher yet. What if he or she decides to help you once you're older?"

"Older?"

"I was thinking that we might discuss this again when you turn twenty-one."

"Assuming I get to turn twenty-one this time around."

"You will. You will have two Watchers, a sister, and two dear friends helping you. Last time I wasted too much time trying to discourage your friends. This time I will do my utmost to support you in whatever way I can, short of storming the Council prior to your twenty-first birthday."

"Fine, fine. But if they get all uppity at me, I am so going to fire them again."

"Understood."

"And who said I don't have an uber-witch this time?" Buffy asked with a smirk.

"I thought Willow promised not to start practicing until she started her Sophomore year?"

"Not quite. You told her not to and she pouted, which you took as an agreement. But then we realized that if she started her training earlier, and paced herself better, she probably wouldn't develop an addiction to the dark stuff this time."

"I understand your reasoning, but I do wish you would have come to me about this. What if someone got hurt?"

"Giles, she can remember everything she could do back in the old universe. This is just training her body to hold all of that magic. Dawnie will probably start in the next few years."

"And you're alright with that."

"Not at all. But I did learn something from all the mistakes last time. I need to let her make her own mistakes; give her some freedom. Otherwise, I'll just lose her."

"Yes, well… Have you any idea when to expect your new Watcher?"

"Probably some time in the next few days. I wasn't really paying attention last time this thing developed."

* * *

"Alright, Petey. You did great. This time I want you to turn your shoulder in and duck your head down. That way it won't hurt you as bad," Xander instructed. Willow and Dawn cheered from the sidelines while Xander taught Willow's six-year-old cousin how to tackle someone while taking the least amount of damage. The boy had announced nearly a month earlier that he was going to be a cop when he grew up. Amazingly enough, this one had stayed with him, unlike the decision to be the next Elmer Fudd, or his decision to be a chef, or the time he wanted to be a pro football player. The others gave him a bit of training for each occupation before he changed his mind again.

"At least this way he'll be well-rounded," Dawn commented, breaking into Willow's thoughts.

"Hmm?" Willow questioned, turning to look at the ten-year-old.

"With us teaching him a bit about everything he wants to be. He'll be a well-rounded adult."

"That's true. And he'll remember his childhood fondly."

Peter Andrew Shanahan, Jr. was having the time of his life. His sister/cousin and her friends were spending time with him again. Ever since that old lady started spending time with Buffy, they all got too busy to play with him. Then the old lady went away somewhere, and they came back. Well, Buffy was still sad that the old lady was gone away, but he knew she would get better. Buffy never stayed sad for long.

As if called out by his thoughts, Buffy walked out of her house at that moment. She still looked sad, but not as sad as before. Petey waved to her shyly as she walked by, and she smiled down at him. Then she picked him up and tossed him over her shoulder, just like his Daddy would sometimes. She put him down, and then helped Xander teach him tricks to take out bad guys.

After nearly another two hours of playing, Petey finally got worn out. He lay down under the tree and in no time was asleep. The Scoobies gathered a few feet away to discuss things.

"Well?" Xander asked.

"They said I wouldn't be taken from my home, but they are going to send a replacement Watcher. They're still not letting Giles take over permanently. But the new guy's not due to come in for another week."

"I'm sorry about Phelps, Buff."

"It wasn't as bad as losing Merrick was. I mean, I'll miss her, but I know that I'll survive without my Watcher. Now then, would you guys be willing to patrol with me tonight?"


	3. Patrolling a Cemetary

**Patrolling a Cemetery**

_**Denver, Colorado – December 1975 **_

The wind whistled shrilly through snow-laden branches, and the tip of a nearly full moon was barely visible over dark clouds. Buffy gripped her stake tighter and fought off a shiver. It was nights like this that made her miss Sunnydale. Trying to patrol through shin-high snow was uncomfortable at best; a fatal hindrance at worst. The dark clouds moved, briefly uncovering the bright moon, and Buffy had to squint when the light reflected off the snow. She heard the crunching sound of footsteps coming from her right and threw the stake. She heard it imbed itself in a tree just as she opened her eyes.

Saied Jhossep was standing beside the tree, his heart not more than six inches from the quivering stake. She could see his wide, frightened eyes through the scarf, hat, and ear muffs he had insisted on wearing. Even after four months he still hadn't learned that she preferred to warn her victims before the kill. He thought she was trying to show off when he caught her at it, but she believed it gave the baddies a chance to state their intentions. Clem was proof enough that not all demons needed to be slayed.

"Relax, Joe, I purposely aimed to your left."

"Miss Bradley, you need to learn not to show off quite so often. When you know an enemy is approaching, you should always attack! Do not wait for it to attack you."

"By that logic, you're dead," Buffy pointed out.

Jhossep heaved the sigh of a man whose patience had been tested to his limits. "I said when an _enemy _is approaching, Miss Bradley."

"I heard you just fine."

"Then you still believe me to be your enemy?"

"You were sent by the Council to keep me in line, and to keep Giles out of my life. You'll be the enemy until you grow a pair and stop being the Council's little lap dog."

"Miss Bradley!"

"That's another thing. My name is Buffy. It's short and easy to remember. Try using it sometime."

"Then perhaps you should use my proper name and title."

"You haven't earned it yet."

"And how would I earn it?" he asked rudely. "By allowing your friends to patrol with you? To watch as you let them die because you don't take your calling seriously enough?"

"Watch what you say, Jhossep," Buffy warned, a dark fire burning behind her eyes. She had learned with Merrick, and later with Jesse, what happened when she tried to shirk her duties. She was tired of losing friends to the evil living in the world. And now this new, full of himself Watcher was trying to use a friend's possible death to control her. She took a step toward him, conscious of the fact that he stepped away as she did so, but was forced to turn her attention elsewhere when she heard the scream.

"I bet that's the first time you've been grateful for a demon," she murmured darkly. She turned and ran in the direction she heard the screams come from, not bothering to look back to see if Jhossep was following. She knew he was.

Buffy reached the demon just as it pulled a woman's head from her body. She watched in disgust as it placed the head in a pouch in the thing's chest. The sight of the demon bending over to eat the body finally forced her out of her shock. She didn't bother to say anything, having mostly grown out of her punning when she was in her forties and fifties, she just ran at the demon. She pulled a sword from the sheath on her back and swung it at the creature.

On the other side of a mausoleum, Jhossep paused to catch his breath. He stood just as a second and third demon appeared in front of him. Jhossep was unable to hold in a small shriek of terror at seeing the two large, snake-headed beasts bearing down on him. He fumbled open the bag he was carrying and tried to grab at the daggers he knew were inside. Just as the first one reached him, a crossbow bolt appeared in the thing's two-foot-long neck, right at the juncture between neck and shoulders. Jhossep looked to his left and saw Xander Monroe running out of the small grove of trees, swinging an axe over his head. Xander swung the axe in a wide arc, catching the final demon just under the jaw and decapitating it. Then, Xander calmly turned around and headed back into the trees, reappearing a moment later with a crossbow.

"Wha- what are you doing here, Mr. Monroe?" Jhossep questioned in a voice slightly more squeaky and breathy than normal. Xander flashed a quick grin at him.

"I never let Buffy go on a patrol by herself. The chances of her surviving the night are not in her favor."

"She's not alone. I'm here with her." Xander raised a single eyebrow and looked the watcher over, as if visually assessing his abilities, and finding them lacking. Jhossep found himself unnerved by the ancient, knowing gaze in those quick brown eyes.

"Her odds only drop with a pure Council Man at her back. You people are only good for your political skills. No, if I want to see Buffy survive, I'm not leaving her life in the hands of anyone I have known for less than forty years."

"Mr. Monroe, you're only sixteen," Jhossep pointed out, flustered. Xander gave him a mysterious, knowing smile.

Before a response could be made, Buffy rounded the corner and saw them talking. "Hey Xan! What are you doing here?"

"Just looking out for my bestest Slayer," Xander answered goofily. He wrapped an arm around the girl's slender shoulders and the duo started walking toward the cemetery exit. Jhossep remained rooted to his spot for a few moments longer, wondering what had just happened, and how the young man had changed his personality so quickly.


	4. Possessions

**Possession****  
**

_**Denver, Colorado – February 1976 **_

Xander Monroe exhaled quickly, watching the fog of his breath travel up and away. Staring straight up threw his balance off slightly and he tilted to one side, dragging Willow over with him. Buffy laughed as she reached over to straighten her friends.

"What's so interesting up there, Xan?" she asked.

"It's February and I can still see my breath." He breathed out again, this time watching the reflection of his breath in the store window next to him.

"Yeah, you could do that in England, too."

"But unlike all of you lovely ladies, I spent most of my time post-Sunnydale in Africa, South America, and Australia. No foggy breath in February for me."

"But you got it in June and July, didn't you?"

"June and July are meant to be spent in bathing suits and shorts. Imagine my shock when I got there in August, expecting pretty girls in little bikinis, and found them all bundled up! Not a bare leg in sight!"

"Poor Xander. But at least you could go skiing, and have hot cocoa by a fire, right?"

"Much too intimate a setting for someone with my dating history," Xander countered. Willow and Buffy both giggled. Willow hugged the arm linked through hers and smiled at Xander, and Buffy linked one of her own arms through Xander's free one.

A few paces behind them, just far enough back to be unable to hear what the trio were saying, Mr. Jhossep followed. His disgruntled face was barely visible through the scarf draped around his neck and face. The Slayer should be tending to her duties, not getting distracted by conversations about malls and boys! With her attitude, he thought she would be lucky to reach the age of eighteen. It also bothered him that, over a month later, he still couldn't figure Xander Monroe out.

"Miss Bradley," he called out to her. "Perhaps you would care to do a patrol of the area."

"I thought that's what we were doing," Buffy commented over her shoulder.

"Do you really believe any demon is going to show up with the three of you cackling like hyenas up there?" he questioned. He noticed the tensing of all three's shoulders, but put it out of his mind. Buffy untangled her arm from Xander's and turned to face the Watcher.

"Do _you _really believe any demon would pass up the chance at three unsuspecting teenagers, whose only concerns are schoolwork and their next dates? Please! This _was _a carefully orchestrated maneuver that has worked many times in the past. Thanks so much for blowing any chance we had of catching the baddie by surprise!"

Jhossep was about to argue with her logic when a bright light appeared from across the street, hitting Xander square in the chest. He fell backward with a soft 'oof', and Willow and Buffy immediately went into action. Buffy took off running across the street, and Willow began murmuring an incantation. She released the spell as Buffy kicked the demon. Before Jhossep could fully comprehend, the demon was a pile of lint, and both girls were hovering over the unconscious Xander.

Jhossep walked over to the teens and reached down to feel for his pulse. He startled back when Xander sat up, coughing. Jhossep was relieved until the coughing turned to choking. Willow pounded on the young man's back, and Buffy held his hand. Suddenly, Xander spit out a small, blue slug-like thing.

"Eww, it's a yeerk!" Xander exclaimed once he got his breath back. Jhossep grew more concerned at the babble. Thankfully, Xander noticed and decided to take pity on the watcher. "It's from a kiddie book series. The Animorphs. They're fighting these slug things called yeerks, who crawl into a person's brain through the ear canal and take over the host person's body."

"But why did you have a 'yeerk' inside you?" Willow asked, deciding to stick with Xander's name for the thing until they could ask Giles what the real name was; if he even knew it.

"The freak with the flashy light wanted to possess me. It needed a new body."

Buffy and Willow both nodded knowingly. Jhossep looked from one teen to another until he finally couldn't stand it anymore. "How do you know that?" he asked. "And how did you manage to fight it off?"

The trio had a silent conversation in front of him. One would give the others a hard look, and that would be met with either a nod or a shake of the head. Then another would have a different look, and the other two would make some gesture with their hands. Jhossep was thoroughly confused by the time they turned to look at him.

"Okay, we've decided that we can answer these two questions, but that's all you get until we trust you," Buffy announced regally. "Xander is a bit of a demon-magnet, possession-freak, so Willow performed a spell on him making it impossible for anything to possess him."

"When would you have the opportunity to learn that demons like to possess Xander? You've only been the Slayer for two years!"

"Ah, ah, ah! I already said I was only trusting you with those two answers. You haven't earned the rest."

"What rest? I only asked the one extra."

"You know, the rest. The ones you're always thinking about, but just haven't gotten up nerve enough to ask. Like how we can seem ancient one minute and childish the next, how Willow and Dawn are so good at magic so young without any formal training, how Xander is such an amazing fighter, and how Giles is part of our little 'clique' even though he's so much older than we are."

"How do you know about those questions? Or is that something you can't answer?" Jhossep asked sarcastically.

"I know because I can read it on your face every time something comes up that makes you think about those things. Don't stress yourself, though. If you're meant to be a Scooby, you'll get there."


	5. Cruciamentum

**_Denver, Colorado – Late February 1976_**

"Giles, we need to talk," Buffy announced as she barged into his apartment. She continued speaking loudly as she made her way through the apartment, searching for her favorite Watcher. "I'll be eighteen soon, and you know Joe's gonna do the crystal needle thing on me. I'm really not looking forward to facing off against a starved, insane vamp with nothing but what I happen to have in my pockets at the time. Of course, I'm just really beginning to break him in, so I don't want Joe to get fired, either. Any sugg- Um… Hi! I was… uh… trying to get Giles' advice on what I should do about a situation with my RPG group. Dungeons and Dragons, man!" She grinned winningly at the bald man sitting in Giles' kitchen, then looked over to Giles and widened her eyes, silently asking what the man was doing there.

"Ah, Buffy, this is Lieutenant Colonel George Hammond. He just moved in down the hall. George, this is one of my girls, Elizabeth – Buffy – Bradley. I've known her for nine years now."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bradley," Hammond greeted. He stuck his hand out and she grasped it in a firm handshake.

"You too, uh… Lieutenant Colonel."

"Please call me George. I've been listening to Robert's stories about you and your friends all afternoon, and I must say I'm impressed."

"Impressed?"

"You've all taken the initiative to keep yourselves healthy and in shape so young in your lives. When I was a young teenager all I wanted to do was sleep. But you and your friends… Jogging, pushups, sit-ups, swimming… Making a habit of good fitness now will come in handy when you get older."

"Ah… yeah… we try…"

"Well, I had better get back to unpacking and let you and Robert talk. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Bradley."

"You too. And, call me Buffy."

"Alright Buffy. Robert, I'll see you around."

"Yes, we'll have to do lunch some time."

As soon as George was out the door Buffy whirled on her watcher, eyes wide. "We need a signal," she announced. "Something that will let us know that you've got company over so we don't just barge in yammering about slayage."

"Hmmm… Yes that would be useful," Giles agreed.

"Giles? Are you thinking about sharing the big secret with him?"

"I had considered it, but I wanted your opinion first. I do believe he could handle it."

"What makes you say that?" Buffy asked. She grabbed a plate from the cupboard and helped herself to the breakfast Giles had cooked. The watcher smiled indulgently at her actions; he had purposely made extra just in case someone showed up.

"I think he has some experience with time travel."

Buffy snorted her soda out through her nose. "You want to tell him _everything_?!"

"Only if you, Willow, Xander, and Dawn are agreeable. As I said before, I believe he can handle it. Not to mention it could help us in the future to have a high-ranking military officer on our side. And he may be able to use his connections to find Andrew."

"Okay… I guess we can talk it over at our next Scooby meeting. In the meantime, what should we plan to do about this Cruciamentum issue?"

"I suppose you could not concentrate on the crystal, and then pretend to be hypnotized, but then Saied would still be able to inject you. Mmm… You say you don't want him fired?"

"Nah. He's finally beginning to come around. I may even be willing to share some more truths with him soon."

"Alright… I suppose you could tell him you already know about it, and possibly request that he not drug you. He could tell the council that the serum does not work on you."

"And when the council reps show up and drug me themselves? 'Cause you know they totally would; just to be sure."

"Ah, yes I had forgotten about that. What about starting to take the drug now, willingly, and then training your body to fight at a normal person's strength? Then you would be at least better prepared than when I… when I betrayed you."

"Giles, we went over this many, _many_ years ago. We worked through it, and I'm over it. It's okay. I'd just rather not go through it again."

"Right. I'm afraid I'm out of suggestions."

"That's alright. I think I like that last one."

-=-

Saied Jhossep was just sitting down to dinner when he heard a knock at his door. He pushed his chair back with a sigh and walked over to the door. He opened it to reveal Buffy Bradley and Xander Monroe. Both teens smiled and waved, then stepped around him and into the house. Saied closed the door slowly, taking a calming breath to steady his nerves.

"What can I do for the two of you this evening?" he inquired politely. He had always been of the mindset that politeness would throw off an opponent better than any insult. The teens merely smiled at him and took a seat on his couch, gesturing for him to sit in the armchair on the other side of the coffee table from them. He sat, and the three stared at each other for a long moment.

"Jo- Mr. Jhossep," Buffy began, "I think we need to talk."

"I'm listening," he responded. He was listening, too. Her use of his proper name and title for the first time had left him curious about whatever could be so serious for her and her friend.

"Willow, Xander, Giles, Dawn, and I have decided that we need to give you a little more information, and we have a proposition for you."

"Again, I'm listening."

"I know that in another few weeks you're going to start administering the Cruciamentum. I also know that failure to follow your instructions to the letter will result in you being fired from the council. Believe it or not, neither of us wants that to happen. Let me finish before you say anything, please," Buffy requested when Saied opened his mouth to speak. He nodded and sat back in his seat.

"Yes, Giles is the one who told me, but not in the way you're thinking. You see, we're a lot older than you. I was born in Los Angeles to Hank and Joyce Summers in 1981. When I was fifteen I was Called. I burned down my high school gym to get rid of a bunch of vampires not long after my first watcher was killed. My parents divorced and my mom and I moved to a little town called Sunnydale. While there I met my new watcher, Rupert Giles, and my friends Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg. Seven years after moving to the Hellmouth, yeah, there was a hellmouth under the high school library, we blew up the town. Sunnydale became a giant crater. My friends, my sister, and I started rebuilding the council after it was attacked. Oh, we also activated every slayer. Anyway, we fought, we lived; we took weekend vacations in various countries. Then when we were in our seventies, the First banded together with the Senior Partners and the Circle of the Black Thorn, and unleashed all of their armies on the humans.

"It was a war on a scale you could never even dream of. That wonderful ability people have of denying what they can't explain? That was gone. And then, so were the people. I don't know how, but after nearly a year of constant fighting, the only humans left on Earth were me, Dawn, Giles, Willow, Xander, and Andrew Wells. We used a spell to come here, but the spell was too hard to control. We lost our memories of each other and got split up. When we found each other our memories returned; but we still haven't found Andrew.

"Now, I left out most of the details, but that should explain how our attitudes shift so easily, and how we let Giles into our 'club'. Giles told me about the test the first time around after the vamp I was supposed to fight escaped. He was fired. I don't want that to happen to you, so I thought we should fill you in a little."

"That was a little?" Saied asked in a daze. He thought briefly about rejecting what they said out of hand, but the age in both sets of eyes convinced him that the people in front of him were speaking the complete truth.

"She managed to compress roughly sixty years of life into two minutes," Xander reminded him. "The detailed version would probably take at least a month."

"Alright… so what was your proposal?" Saied asked, still trying to wrap his mind around all he had learned.

"We think you should start giving Buffy the serum as soon as possible, so we can retrain her body to fight as a normal girl. Then she fights the vamp according to plan, wins, and we try to let you into our circle more."

"I… I think we can do that."

-=-

**_Bradley Residence – 23 March 1976_**

"That was unnaturally easy, all things considered," Buffy commented between sips of punch. She and the Scoobies, plus Saied, were gathered in Buffy and Dawn's living room, celebrating Buffy's birthday and her successful completion of the Cruciamentum test. In the end she had poisoned the vampire with holy water, after getting herself battered and bruised. The black eye and other scratches and bruises were explained away to her parents as the result of an unsuccessful mugging.

"You know, Buff, when you say things like that we can almost expect things to get complicated," Xander mentioned.

"Giles wants to tell his neighbor the Air Force man about what we do. We're in for complicated no matter what."

-=-

A/N: Thanks for being so patient with me. I did not forget about this!


	6. Heart Stopping Fun

**_Denver, CO - May 1980_**

"Can you believe Dawnie's already graduating?" Willow breathed. "It seems like only yesterday that your parents were bringing her home from the hospital."

"That _was_ yesterday, Wills. She just got her cast removed," Buffy responded quietly. She, her parents, and the Scoobies were sitting in the high school's bleachers looking down on the graduating class of 1980. The graduates were seated on white lawn chairs arranged in rows across the football field, with the stage and band set up below the scoreboard.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Buffy smirked at her friend, who had received five shushes at once. Mr and Mrs Bradley, Joe, George, and Giles were all one hundred percent focused on the proceedings going on below them, even though they had all seen the ceremony twice before.

Just then, Xander leaned forward from his seat behind the girls and asked, "Why couldn't she just heal her broken arm again?"

"Because Mrs Oeschle saw it happen. There was no way she wasn't going to tell my parents," Buffy answered in a whisper. In an effort to protect them, none of the parents were told about their children's involvement in the supernatural.

"I still can't believe that we've been patrolling and fighting for nearly ten years with almost no injuries, and Dawn got her arm broken when that moron jock in her Drama class grabbed her," Willow fumed.

"I can," Xander countered. "When we patrol, she knows to always expect something, and she usually turns her body with whatever grabs her so she can use their movement against them. This happened in class, when her arms were full of props and other supplies, and in front of a crowd. She couldn't go with it without drawing a lot of unwanted attention."

"Xander, the tactical expert," Buffy deadpanned. Xander reached out to tickle her, but at that moment Dawn's name was called. The Scoobies and their families jumped up and cheered for Dawn, screaming loudly, clapping, whistling, and generally embarrassing her and annoying the people around them.

-=-

Dawn wrapped her arms around Buffy, grinning broadly. "I did it!" she shrieked, then continued softer, "I actually managed to have a ceremony this time!"

"I know. And as the valedictorian! I'm so proud of you," Buffy whispered back. She hugged her sister close to her, then loosened the grip as both sisters began to jump up and down. The rest of the family joined them at that time, and each one congratulated Dawn on her accomplishment.

"So Dawnster," Xander started, throwing an arm across her shoulders, "how long do we get to bask in your presence before you run off to England to get higher learning degrees?"

"I fly out in three weeks. I want to be there to get good classes."

"And where did you say you were going to study?" Joe asked, reaching around to give the girl a congratulatory hug of his own.

"I'll be in the Languages Department at Oxford University. I plan on majoring in European Languages, with a minor in Archeology and History."

"That's quite a load you're setting yourself up for."

"She managed to graduate a year early. I think she can handle it," Buffy proclaimed.

-=-

One week after Dawn graduated, the whole team decided to do a sweep of the city. Buffy and Joe took one third of the town, Giles, Dawn, and George took another, and Willow and Xander took the last third. They wanted to keep the hostile demon population at its absolute minimum for the remaining time Dawn was in town. That way there was less of a chance for a group of demons to crash her going-away party.

Buffy and Joe walked around the abandoned business district, chatting easily. They had grown closer since Buffy and the group had come clean to him right before her Cruciamentum. Joe was a little like Wesley had been at first, Buffy mused. He just wanted to fit in, really. And he had been surrounded by a bunch of annoying little Council-trained know-it-alls until being thrown into the field. Thankfully the situation hadn't gotten so royally out of hand this time around. Joe gestured to a side street, indicating that he thought they should check it out. Buffy was about to nod when she heard something from the opposite alley.

"Let's check this one out first. I think I heard something." The duo turned and started down the alley, pausing when there was a flash of light from the other side of a dumpster. The smell of ozone hit them and they exchanged a look. "Great," Buffy muttered, "Someone's playing with lightning."

-=-

George Hammond rolled his eyes in mock exasperation as Giles and Dawn debated the advantages and disadvantages of so many modern languages being derived from a common tongue, and effects that similar beginning could have on the various cultures of the world. He enjoyed listening to the two get into a vigorous debate as much as the next person – it was, after all, highly entertaining to listen to two such highly intelligent people argue passionately over something they both loved – but seeing as he was _not_ a linguist, he was quickly beginning to feel left out. Normally, at about this time he would be getting into a tactical discussion with Xander, or a scientific one with Willow, or comparing war stories with Buffy, or even just talking quietly with Saied about Egypt. Now, however, all avenues of escape were currently patrolling their own areas.

He tuned back into the conversation to find that they had shifted languages and were both arguing fiercely in a language they had long ago informed him was called Fyarl. If he let it wash over him he supposed it was similar to German, what with all the grunts, spitting, and guttural noises. Of course, the hisses and clacks definitely set it apart as a demon language. George twirled his stake in the air, catching it as gravity worked its way with the wooden weapon. He nearly let it drop when he saw a group of vampires come around the corner at them. A sound forced its way past his lips, alerting his friends of their company. Giles pulled a sword from the sheath at his back while Dawn reached for her daggers. George grabbed a second stake from his pocket. The two groups stared at each other for a long moment; then the vampires charged at them.

-=-

"I think I'm ready to be a dad," Xander murmured. Willow raised an eyebrow at him, supportive of what he felt was right, but curious.

"I mean, maybe not right this instant," Xander backpedalled quickly. "I just mean… You know… Sometime in this lifetime, it's something I'm ready for. I've had over fifty years to work through all of the issues Tony and Jessica left me with. I know what to avoid if I want the kid to turn out half-way decent. And I'm much more mature now than I was even as a forty-year-old, one-eyed carpenter traveling the deserts of Africa ripping little girls from their lives and telling them that they were destined for a life of hardship and early death. Plus, I have the added experience of training four slayers all by myself, and raising Kamaria after Rabi died. Huh… I think I should definitely have a girl."

"You think you'll have a say in your baby's gender?"

"Well… If I adopt I might…"

"Well, when you get to that point, you know you have my support."

"I think I could use a different kind of support right now," Xander stated, hefting an axe into his arms. Willow looked up and saw a demon drop from a building and rush toward them. She raised her arms and magically sent the monster crashing to the ground. A bright light surrounded him, and he split into seven smaller demons. Smaller being six feet tall instead of eleven.

"This is gonna hurt," Xander groaned. He raised the axe above his head and ran into the crowd of demons, letting out a war cry that would have scared anyone listening.

-=-

Buffy leapt onto the back of the sorcerer, jabbing an elbow between his shoulder blades. She jumped off as he fell, turning to throw a small knife into the hand of a second sorcerer while kicking out with her leg and catching a third man under his chin. She rushed over to her watcher and pulled him to his feet, then pushed him into the wall when a sorcerer's staff swung down, just missing the man by a few inches. Buffy punched him in the chest, and the sorcerer flew back to the alley opening. The remaining four huddled together and began to chant. Buffy's head snapped up and her eyes narrowed when she heard them. She took a brief running start, then charged into the group.

Joe watched with his vision swimming. Less than a minute into the fight he had taken a hard blow to the head, leaving him with a mild concussion. He saw Buffy run towards to sorcerers then get thrown back by a spell. He pulled his sword from its sheath and swung the blade towards the group of sorcerers, catching one in the throat. Warm blood surged out of the man's neck, splattering all over the fighters and the alley. He ran his arm across his face, trying to get the blood out of his eyes. That moment of distraction left him vulnerable to the remaining sorcerers. He was magically thrown, much as Buffy had been, into a wall.

When Joe went down, Buffy gave a mental shout for help through the telepathic link the Scoobies shared during their patrols. The answer she received disturbed her. Everyone was in a full battle. She was in this with only an already injured man for backup. She squared her shoulders and began moving back into the fight. She heard the sorcerers chanting, then saw them aim their combined hands at Joe. Her eyes widened when she realized they were going to try to kill him. She jumped at the same time the bolt of light left the sorcerers' hands.

-=-

The first five vampires had gone down fairly easily. Then twenty more showed up. For the next few minutes it seemed like every vampire they dusted was replaced by three more. And even worse, the vampires weren't the easy-to-stake fledges, either. They were all at least thirty years old, and had spent enough time in the world to avoid all of the common mistakes that left younger vamps a cloud of ash.

"Giles, did we find a nest or something?" Dawn shouted over the sounds of the fight. She was using a combination of magic and martial arts and was quickly wearing out. Giles appeared before her as the vampires she had been fighting disintegrated. The man spun on his heel and shoved his stake through the heart of another vampire. He had thrown the sword to George earlier in the fight and was quickly working his way through all of his spare stakes.

"I doubt it. I think," he paused to catch his breath and plunge his stake into another vampire, "I think they just got to town. None of this town's residents have survived long enough to get this strong." There was a whoosh sound off to Dawn's right, and she turned to see six vampires turn to dust as George held the sword at neck level and spun. They paused for a brief second when they heard Buffy's call for help, then another row of vampires surged in on them.

-=-

"Willow! Stop using magic on them! I think these guys are Gjamdsedis!"

"I thought they were native to Sweden," Willow shouted back at him. She did reign her magic back in and focused of her physical training. The sixty demons were each roughly three and a half feet tall, and each was more vicious than the seven demons that were created at the first magic blast. The Gjamdsedi was a demon that got meaner and harder to kill as it got smaller, which happened when it was attacked with magic. It separated into smaller, multiple demons until each one was beheaded. If one little demon was missed, then it began to grow until it reached the full height of eleven feet, and then it could start its own army.

"Any ideas on how to behead all of them?" Willow asked.

"Less talking and more swinging," Xander responded. It was phrased as a statement, but Willow heard the question. He wanted to know if she had any ideas. "Can you use magic to swings extra swords and stuff?"

"No, that still counts as a magical attack!" Willow turned and got to work beheading the little creatures, receiving multiple scratches and bites in the process. She heard the call from Buffy, and sent a quick vision of what she was dealing with back, along with the message that she would help if and when she could. Then she heard Xander cry out behind her and turned to see a Gjamdsedi clinging to Xander's shoulders, it's sharp, pointed teeth piercing the back of his neck.

-=-

Giles, George, and Dawn stood with their backs to each other. They were down to fifteen vampires, but they refused to grow complacent. They continued to fight until every vampire was dust, then they collapsed in the middle of the street, grateful it was too late for anyone to drive by. Dawn leaned her head against Giles's shoulder, breathing hard and wiping blood from her face. George reached over and pressed a strip of cloth against the wound to try and slow the bleeding. Dawn smiled at him tiredly.

After a few minutes to catch their breath, the trio stood and started to make their way to Buffy and Joe's location. The sight they found when they arrived caused all of them to stop, their hearts beating painfully. Dawn screamed her sister's name and ran forward.

-=-

Xander swung the axe with his left arm, just catching the last Gjamdsedi under the jaw. As the body hit the ground all of the corpses turned to mist and dissipated in the air. Willow bandaged his major wounds, then held still while he returned the favor. The duo then started the jog to Buffy and Joe. They heard Dawn's scream when they were still a block away. They ran to the alley and looked inside.

Buffy's body was laying on the ground, her eyes open but sightless. Joe was desperately pumping her chest, trying to keep her heart beating. He looked up at the Scoobies, his eyes filled with tears that he refused to let fall.

"She jumped in front of the blast aimed for me. It… it rebounded and the sorcerers exploded, but Buffy stayed down. I checked on her, but she was just laying there with her eyes open. I… it looked like a lightning bolt, so I thought maybe, if I could just get her heart started again…" The first tear fell and he stared down at his hands, still pressed against the slayer's chest, trying to force life back into her. Giles gently moved him out of the way while Xander and George took over performing CPR.

It took nearly another minute, but eventually Buffy's body spasmed and she took in a gulp of air. Xander pulled her into his lap when she started shaking, still gasping for breath. They sat like that for almost half an hour, Dawn leaning against them and the rest of the Scoobies gathered around, offering their support. Buffy finally calmed down and looked at her friends and family.

"Let's not do that again," she croaked. "I don't know how many more new slayers I can make."

"New slayers?" Joe and George asked at the same time.

"I was dead," Buffy answered quietly. "A new girl was Called tonight. We should try to find her."

-=-

A/N: That's all for now. I tried to obey a reviewer and add in a little action. Was this good?


	7. Lost and Found

**_Denver, CO – July 1980_**

Willow's shriek drew the attention of everyone in the room. She flushed as red as her hair, but still kept her head up defiantly. Quickly, her friends gathered around to see what she had found.

"Okay, we've got good news, bad news, more good news, and more bad news," Willow announced. The Scoobies waited expectantly. "Good news the first: I found the slayer Called after Buffy. Bad news? She was killed four days ago by a master vamp. Good news part two: I found _her_ successor. The bad news with that is she's currently living in New York, and is apparently a vigilante crime-fighter."

"Could be worse. What's her name?"

"Cassandra Cain. Apparently she was already a great martial artist until a few weeks ago, when some psychic scrambled her brain so she could speak."

"Well in that case, we might want to keep you and Giles away from her. She might have some lingering dislike of psychic abilities if she was upset at the loss of her skills. Joe and I can go talk to her. Maybe offer her a place with us?"

"Buffy," Joe countered, "The Council will be tracking her down soon, if they haven't already. It might not be wise to get involved with her life. As it stands you're lucky they haven't tried to kill you."

"Why would they try to kill her?" George asked.

"She's no longer the Chosen One. She's, at best, a spare. The slayer line no longer goes through her. It is now carried by Miss Cain. As such, they may see no reason to keep her around."

"Except that my parents would probably hunt them down and sue them so far into the dirt that their grandkids will still be paying the fees. It's kinda nice to have a full set of caring parents this time around."

"Back to the actual topic," Willow interrupted. "We don't _have_ to invite her to join us. It might even make more sense for her to be elsewhere, just in case. But we should still try to contact her, just to let her know she has a support network. That way, if she ever needs backup, she knows she can always call us, but if she'd rather go solo we won't be in her way."

"Solo in the sense of the only slayer in the area, not the only person fighting, right?" Xander questioned. "Because you should really let her know that having any kind of backup is better than nothing."

"Yes Xander. That will come up in conversation. Now if you'll all excuse me, I need to go pack."

-=-

"Gloomy city. Check out the gargoyles on all the buildings," Buffy commented, walking backward down the dimly lit streets. Joe glanced up and snorted.

"They're hardly on _every_ building, Buffy. And it's possible that this city looks 'gloomy' because we have yet to see it in full daylight."

"Assuming daylight ever touches this place."

"That's a rather dark thought from you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not sure why, but this place reminds me of something. And whatever the something is, it's both amusing and extremely… dark."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. It's just… this place reminds me of something I saw… or read about… or possibly was told about in high school in Sunnydale... which might be why I'm having so much trouble remembering. It has been over seventy years since I stepped foot in that town."

"If this city bothers you so much, we should try to find Miss Cain quickly so we can return home."

"How do you suggest we do that? Stand in the streets and scream her name? Ooh! Wills said she was some kind of vigilante. Attack me!"

"What?!"

"It would make more sense to anyone stumbling onto the fight that the larger man was winning against the tiny blonde. Attack me. I'll start screaming for help, and that's when our new friend comes running in to save me."

"Have you forgotten that we want this girl to trust us? If we meet her under false circumstances, that will be rather difficult. Also, what do you propose we do if the police should manage to arrive first?"

"Oh… right. Okay, I guess I didn't think that one through. How about -" Buffy was interrupted by the arrival of a group of vampires. As she plunged her stake into the chest of the first one, she saw a small black-haired girl jump into the fight. She fought beautifully, but seemed confused when her opponents continued fighting after receiving a boot to the gut. Buffy yelled at her to catch, and threw a stake in her direction. The girl grabbed it, and then started to use it as a dagger, slashing at the vampires with it.

"Plunge it into the heart!" Joe called out to her. The girl's eyes widened and she shook her head. "They're not human. I promise. You _must_ stick it through the heart."

Buffy fought her way closer to the girl, dusting every vampire she came into contact with. The girl finally thrust the stake forward, and watched with shock and a satisfied gleam as the last vampire exploded into dust before her eyes.

"What _were_ those things?"

"Ah, that depends. What's your name?" Buffy asked. Joe rolled his eyes.

"Why do you want to know?"

"We're in town looking for a specific girl; you seem to match the rough description we have of her, and I wanted to make sure you really are her before I go and ruin the life of some regular girl."

"Why do you want to find the girl?"

"We'd like to offer help and a support network if she needs it. Name please?"

The girl sighed. "Cassie Cain."

"Perfect. I'm Buffy Bradley. This is Joe Saied. We've been looking for you. Those were vampires - evil, soulless creatures inhabiting corpses."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, I'm sure you noticed that you're suddenly stronger and faster than you've ever been. You've been Chosen as the newest Slayer. Congrats and welcome to the club."

Cassie led the duo to a small café as Buffy and Joe explained the history of the Slayer, what she might expect from the watchers, and their willingness to stay in contact with her. When they were finished, Cassie leaned back and tried to absorb everything they had told her.

"Cassie? There is one last thing. It's pretty important. Right up there with the first rule."

"First rule?"

"Of slaying. Don't die."

"Oh… odd rule."

"Not really," Buffy responded. "After a while most slayers end up with a death wish. That or they sacrifice themselves for the 'greater good'. You can do more alive than you can dead. It's important to remember that. Now, for that last thing - you need a solid support network. You need people who know what you are, that you trust to watch your back and help out in a fight. Those people will pull you out of some pretty tough situations, and they remind you of why you're fighting."

"I've got a few people like that."

"Then you're already a step up from most slayers. Make sure to include them in any meetings with your watcher. The watcher will want you to be a solitary hunter, but you're not made that way."

"Thank you."

"No prob. Did you want us to stick around for awhile; help you settle in?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll be alright."

"Okay. Here's a list of numbers you can reach me and my friends at if you ever need to talk to someone who's been there. Or if you ever just wanna chat."

The trio continued to chat for awhile, but went their separate ways as dawn broke over the city.

-=-

Dawn sighed as she shifted the bag at her shoulder. Her last class of the day was over and she was starting her walk home, desperately wishing her family was with her. She smirked at the irony of it all. Last time she was in college she just wanted everyone to go away for awhile; to leave her in peace. Now, here she was with all the peace in the world, and all she wanted was to have her family back with her.

She decided that her homesickness was reaching dangerous levels when she looked up and felt her heart stop. Across the road was a young man. Normally, it wouldn't be something all that exciting. But this man looked just like Andrew. She knew it wasn't likely, but with her desire to be around the familiar so strong, she decided to risk it.

"Andrew!" She yelled. The sandy-blond man paused, but didn't turn around. "Andrew Wells!" she tried again. This time he turned so quickly that she worried about whiplash. His blue eyes were wide with shock, hope, and excitement. He ran across the street to her, car horns blaring around him. He stopped within two feet of her and let his eyes rake across her figure. Tears filled the expressive orbs as he took a deep breath.

"Dawnie?" he whispered. She nodded silently, and grin forming on her face. "Dawnie! I thought I would never see you again!" He wrapped his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug. She wiggled in his embrace until her arms were free, then she wrapped them around his neck.

"We've missed you so much!"

"We?"

"The rest of us found each other about ten years ago. We… well _they_ live in Denver, Colorado. Where have you been?"

"Oregon. Dawn I've missed all of you so badly."

"Wait until I tell the others that I've found you. I'd bet you anything they'll all want to fly out here to see you. Willow tried a locator spell on you every week for nearly three years, but it never worked. It just seemed to make the curtains catch on fire."


	8. Secrets and Surprises

**_Denver, CO – August 1980_**

"Good Lord!" Giles exclaimed under his breath. Willow and Buffy looked up from painting each other's nails. "Do you remember the night Buffy was killed?"

"Kinda etched in my memory, Giles. After all, that was the first time this body's died."

"Yes, well, it appears that the groups you and I faced were the distraction. The Gjamdsedis were trying to amass a large army, and use that army as a sort of Scourge. They were going to kill every human and half-breed on the planet."

"If they were the apocalypse, how did Xander and I manage to stop them by ourselves?" Willow questioned.

"For one thing, the two of you spent over fifty years battling every evil thing we came into contact with. You have a rather extensive amount of training. For another, the Gjamdsedis were not prepared to battle anyone with your skills."

"So we just got really lucky?"

"Only if the luck was accompanied by skill. Don't downplay your abilities just because your opponents were unprepared. The average, or even slightly above-average, human would have died in that situation."

"I should tell Xander!" Willow shouted, jumping up and running to the phone. She stopped as she picked it up. "But I should wait until he calls us. Since, you know, it's not like I have a cell phone number for him… Mainly because they're not consumer ready yet."

"Where is he, anyway?" Joe asked.

"He's trying to resume his road trip plan from Sunnydale. He called a few days ago and said he was nearing Texas."

"On the plus, though, this time he _does_ realize that he can't drive to Hawaii," Buffy added.

-=-

**_Ninnekah, OK – August 1980_**

Xander sat in the hard plastic chair patiently, listening to the yelling and coughs coming from the next room. He shuddered at a particularly harsh cough. He looked up when the door opened and a large man walked out, his enormous hand clasped around the tiny wrist of a toddler. The child's crying was periodically interrupted by his horrible coughs. The man looked down at his child helplessly. It was obvious even from their clothes that the family was not well-to-do. Xander stood and made his way to the duo.

He looked into the adult's eyes, and saw his exhaustion. The man had already given up on life, and was only continuing the motions for his son's sake. The child was severely malnourished, and looked not far from the grave himself. Xander asked if he could give the child a sucker. It was a cheap, easy alternative to a cough drop. The man nodded once, and Xander pulled the candy from his pocket, presenting it to the child calmly. The boy looked to his father for permission, then accepted.

"Would you look after him?" the man asked.

"Uh… sure." The man handed the boy over the Xander and headed in the direction of the restroom. Xander lead the child to his seat, and pulled the tiny blond onto his lap. Huge, red-rimmed blue eyes stared up at him trustingly.

"What's your name, kiddo?" Xander asked. The boy had just opened his mouth to reply when there was a crash from around the corner, then a woman's voice screaming that a man was dead.

-=-

**_Oxford, United Kingdom – August 1980_**

"Sorry, Andrew, but I don't think I can keep it from them for that long. Even Buffy and Giles got depressed when we realized that you were probably lost to us forever. And you know you annoyed them worse than anyone else."

"It's only four months," Andrew wheedled.

"Only? Andrew, I consider myself lucky if I keep my sister's birthday gift a secret from her for a week. And you want me to hide the fact that I've found you from _all_ of the Scoobies until we can visit for Christmas? I don't think so."

"Please? I promise to make it worth your while!"

"Worth my while? Who are you and what have you done to my geek-boy?"

"I grew up this time as the oldest of three boys. And I got full responsibility of them after our mom died. Plus, "Empire Strikes Back" was just released in theaters this past May, and "Star Trek" really isn't all that popular right now. "Next Generation" won't come out for another seven years! All of my other annoyances and obsessions come out even later. And what do you mean _your_ geek-boy?"

"Nothing, just that… um… we always got along really well, and you're my friend…"

"And you like me," Andrew said smugly, knowing that it was only as a friend. "And yes, I can make it worth your while. I happen to be good friends with the owner of your favorite pub. Guess who _could_ get us free, or at least obscenely cheap, meals for the next few months?" Dawn's eyes held a contemplative gleam.

-=-

**_Denver, CO – September 1980_**

"Hey, Giles. I'm back," Xander called softly. Giles, Willow, Buffy, Joe, and George stepped up to greet him, stopping short at the sight of a tiny blond curled up against their friend's chest.

"Okay, I know you called us, and we set up stuff for him, but part of me didn't really believe you were bringing home a live souvenir."

"He's not a souvenir, Buff. He's… my son."

"Perhaps you had better explain, Xander. And tell us the child's name."

"I was driving through Ninnekah, Oklahoma when I heard this screaming from one of the trailers. I stopped to see if I could help with anything, and there was this man. His family had all gotten really sick last winter, two of his daughters died when it was first going around. Anyway, after he sold his house, the rest of the kids just kept getting sicker. Earlier that week, his wife, remaining two daughters, and older son had all died of the flu. It was even that bad of a strain, but the family just couldn't afford any medicine or anything, and the conditions got so bad… Anyway, the screaming was because his baby was starting to show the same symptoms. He didn't know how the kid survived when all of the older ones died, but he couldn't handle losing his baby, too. I offered to take them both to the hospital, and he agreed. He spent the whole time holding onto the kid. I never got his name or anything.

"Then after he was done in the hospital room, he asked me to watch the kid, and went to the restroom. The next thing I knew, the doctors were saying his heart just quit. I made the arrangements and stuff, and fought for custody. Of course, if I hadn't wanted him he just would have gone into some child welfare program, and I didn't want him to have to deal with that. Because of his situation, I am now his 'Parent and/or Legal Guardian'. As for his name? Meet Lindsey Monroe."

"Lindsey… Good Lord, Xander, are you saying you adopted the Wolfram and Hart lawyer who gave Angel so much trouble in LA?"

"No, I'm saying that I adopted the child who might have otherwise grown into the Wolfram and Hart employee in another dimension. This is Lindsey _Monroe_. He is not an evil lawyer, or a traitor, or a back-stabber, or any of those other beautiful terms Dead-boy graced us with when he got going on Lindsey McDonald. Right now he is an innocent two-year-old who just watched his entire family die around him."

"He's so _cute_!" Buffy cooed at the sleeping toddler. "Can I hold him?"

Xander handed the boy over to her, and she sat down on the couch, cuddling her new 'nephew' close and promising to spoil him rotten to the best of her abilities. Willow quickly joined her, and while the girls were busy with the child, Xander joined the men in the kitchen to discuss living situations. All four knew that neither Buffy nor Willow would have much interest in the rest of the discussion, so they didn't feel bad about excluding them.

"I think I should start," George began. "It might help your situation, Xander. I got my new orders today. I have one month to sell my apartment and put my things in storage. I am then going to spend three years in Germany. Xander, I believe we can work something out with the owner's of this apartment complex and have my ownership signed over to you if you want it."

"If you think we can do it, that would be great. The Monroe house is crowded enough with me and my parents living there. Adding a toddler would leave barely enough room to walk."

"Then we'll take care of that later this afternoon or early tomorrow."

-=-

**_Denver, CO – 21 December 1980_**

"Why did we have to use the airport?" Dawn muttered under her breath, shoving a man twice her size out of her way. "We could have gone Willow express, but nooo!" She wrapped her fingers around the handle of her suitcase and pulled. A stranger's grip on her arm was the only thing that kept her from tumbling onto the baggage claim terminal. She smiled her thanks at the man. The suitcase itself wasn't all that heavy, but it was under someone else's suitcase, and, Dawn thought crossly, that bag probably weighed over the actual limit. "Nope, Andrew just had to keep it all a secret!"

She finally pulled her bag free and joined Andrew at the door. When they had all their things gathered, they made their way outside and called for a taxi. Twenty minutes later, they handed the cab driver his money and a generous tip and stood together facing a brightly-lit, Christmas-card-perfect house. The snow had been recently shoveled off of the sidewalk and driveway, so the duo had an easy trip to the front door. Dawn rang the bell and smiled at the childish shriek of laughter, and the thundering of feet headed to the door.

The knob turned once, then there was a loud thump against the door. Dawn and Andrew heard a muffled "Me _got _it, Daddy!" before the door was finally opened. Xander stood in the entryway, a thin, rosy-cheeked blond boy in his arms. The boy shrank back from the strangers, suddenly growing shy.

"Dawnie! Welcome home! Were we expecting you?" Xander asked as he ushered her inside. "Lindsey, we told you about Auntie Dawn, right?" The boy nodded slowly. "This is Auntie Dawn. Are you sure you don't want to meet her? She usually has chocolate." The boys blue eyes grew even larger and he lunged at the young woman. She caught him quickly and shifted him onto her hip, a Hershey's Kiss finding its way into the tiny hands.

"Bribery, Xander?" she asked, standing on her toes to accept the kiss on her cheek.

"I couldn't very well take your bags with my arms full of toddler, now could I?" he laughed, turning back around and finally noticing the guest. The men stared at each other for a long moment. Then, Xander's arms flew around the blond man and squeezed tightly. "Giles, girls, get in here! Dawnie brought Andrew!" Andrew was released just to be pulled into more sets of arms, each one pouring out love.

"This is quite the Christmas surprise," Giles commented after everyone had gotten settled, and Andrew was introduced to Lindsey, Joe, and the Bradleys, Monroes, and Shanahans.

"It's not the only one," Dawn teased quietly. The rest of the group, with the exception of Lindsey, who was sitting contentedly in Xander's lap sucking his thumb, looked at her in expectation.

"We're engaged," Andrew announced.

-=-

A/N: That's all. This story is now over. Stay tuned next time for either Andrew's back-story, or the beginning of the one-shots that fit nowhere else. BTW, did anyone reading this know that there's a Lindsey, Oklahoma in real life? I was trying to find a small town near Tulsa where Lin and Xander could meet, and there it was on the map! I laughed. Also, there's a St Giles… I think it's a street… in Oxford. I love me my Google Maps!


End file.
